The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-29


little household.
"Jes what ole Hinda's good for"
said she; "dat an muffin else. Missy
car do mos anything; but dar amt no
sense in Missy stan'in' at de wash
tub. Leave dat ar to ole Hinda."
And Roxy's spirits rose with her
good luck.
I'm getting to be q housekeeper,"
said she, cheerily, to herself. "Those
fried fish this morning tasted quite
good, and the wild plums that l pre-
served yesterday are certainly going
to be success"
But lift is always darkest jest before
daylight, it is also sometimes bright
est before an unexpected thunder
cloud. And one day old Kinda be.
thought herself to feel i'll OF a Monday
morning-of rheumatic fever.
Roxy went to carry her little pail
OF milk and stone crock OF the wild
plums, for linda had a childlike fond
ess for sweets.
fondess for sweets.
"Hinda," she faltered, "can't you
wash for me this week? DO try
there IS good linda.
The old woman riggled herself Gput
on her uneasy couch, wringin1 her
hands, and rolling up the yellow
white of her African eyeballs in pite-
Gus fashion.
Not dis var week, honey" she an
swered, plaintively; mot for de Queen
an all de royal chiluns. No; ner
next week, neider Don't knows as
I'll eber wash agin, honey" with a
mournful croak in her voice.
Roxy's countenance fell. But,
linda, +" she pleaded, "Aunt Sally isn't
able to wash; and besides, she has
found a whole thicket of witch-hazel
somewhere up the creek, and she
won't sleep night or day until she
gets the roots all dug and scraped,
and the bark stripped off and put
sleeping in alcohol. Hinda"-with q
sudden inspiration-"do you think ]
could do the washing?"
"You, Miss Roxy-oh, git out !"
But, Kinda, somebody must
wash"
at amt no work for a young lady,
Miss Roxy" aaid Kinda, decisively.
Everything is work for young
lady," pleaded Roxy, "if it has got to
be done"
linda shook her head. "Yoll
break yo' back, honey, an parboil
yo' hands an"
"Oh, don't mind all that, Kinda,
if only Aunt Sally would think the
clothes looked decent" urged Roxy.
"Tel me how to do it, Kinda there's
darling"
"Well, honey, yo put de clothes
asoak de night afore," unwilling began
linda, Gin plenty O. bar soap sliced
up thin; an yo' bile 'em well, an yo.
doan forgit de bluein, an mind yo'
doan git de starch too stiff, an be
suah yo' rensh de clothes right smart,
an'-oh! OH dar goes de pain in my
po' ole bones agin, ies for all de world
like crooked lightnin'."
So Roxy returned home not much
wiser than she went. "Td give all my
algebra and geometry" sighed she, "f
only knew how to wash"
Joy OF joysl as she went past Squire
Honeywell's big cream-colored house
she saw colony OF white garments,
veritable flags OF truce to her troub-
led mind, huttering in the wind from
line, in the back garden.
"rhey're washing, said Roxy to her
self, with a Frightening face "Now's
the time for me to 60 in and see how
it is DONE"
She slipped insinuatingly in at the
l-.A Il x,hn n
white steam hoated forth. Good
morning, Docia," she said 10 Miss
Theodocia Honeywell, the Squire's
daughter. "Do you suppose your
GRANDMOTHER would like o jar OF my
wild plums2 They're a nice color,
and keep their flavor beautifully.
No, don't stop your work" as Miss
Theodocia paused courteously, and
began to wipe her soapy arms on
roller-towel); go on, just as II !
wasn't here"
And she eagerly settled herself to
take note OF the stout young woman s
every motion. But Miss Theodocia's
ideasof politeness were agreat deal too
well defined to allow her to spend her
time in washing when there was
company. d,
you re very kind, I'm sure" said
she, "but the clothes can wait. dare
say granny would relish the plums and
anyhow we've a city boarder this
month, an artist young gentleman,
and any little luxury comes in handy
fo- the table," =.
"An artistY' wistfully repeated
Roxy.
YES" nodded Docia. "Such pict-
ures as he paints with squeeze or
two out OF his coioT.tabs. and a dab
L .l.nlr l. .oanaa